The spirit of innovation and technological problem-solving came alive as the Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2025 – Software Edition Grand Finale was formally inaugurated today at the Multi-Convention Hall, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. The prestigious national event-an initiative of the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) and AICTE -brought together some of India’s brightest young innovators for an intensive 36-hour coding marathon, aimed at building practical solutions for real-world challenges posed by various ministries, industries, and government agencies. The inaugural ceremony commenced with the traditional Lighting of the Lamp, followed by Saraswati Vandana, invoking an auspicious beginning to the nationwide programme. Prof. Dinesh Bhatia, Coordinator and Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for SIH 2025 at NEHU, delivered the Introductory Address, extending a warm welcome to all participants and delegates. He highlighted NEHU’s pride in hosting the Grand Finale as a Nodal Centre and emphasized that SIH continues to be a defining platform where young innovators transcend theoretical learning to develop deployable solutions for pressing national challenges.
This was followed by the Welcome Address by Prof. S. K. Dixit, Registrar, NEHU, who reaffirmed the University’s commitment to nurturing a culture of innovation and technical excellence in the region. He encouraged participants to view the hackathon not merely as a competition but as an invaluable opportunity for collaboration, peer learning, and national contribution. Addressing the audience, Shri Yogesh Brahmankar, Director (Innovation), Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, spoke about the national vision of SIH as a large-scale movement to crowdsource ideas for governance and societal betterment. He highlighted the significance of the 2025 edition and urged the participants to build ethical, scalable, and socially impactful technological solutions. Adding to the spirit of encouragement, Prof. B. Mishra, Pro-Vice Chancellor, NEHU, shared his remarks, applauding the enthusiasm of the young participants.
He underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in building effective solutions and motivated the teams to innovate fearlessly throughout the 36-hour challenge. The event’s keynote address was delivered by the Chief Guest, Shri Santosh V. T., Scientist F & State Information Officer, National Informatics Centre (NIC), MeitY, Government of India. In his inspirational speech, he emphasized the transformative role of technology in digital governance and public service delivery. He encouraged the young innovators to design solutions that strengthen the Digital India mission and bridge critical gaps between citizens and governance through secure and efficient digital platforms. The ceremony concluded with the Felicitation of Dignitaries, followed by a heartfelt Vote of Thanks by Dr. S. Majaw, Co-Coordinator, SIH 2025, NEHU.